Feeding mechanism for corn-husking machines.



N0. 846,4231 PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

J. W. PAIGEI FEEDING MEGHANISM FOR 001m HUSKING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.15,1906. I

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Jriue No. 846,423. 'PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

I J. W. PAIGE. FEEDING MECHANISM FOR 001w HUSKING MACHINES.

' APPLICATION FILED PEB .l5.1906.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

'ITED STAEES ernnr OFFICE.

JAMES w. PAIGE, or oIIIcAGo, ILLINOIS, AssIcNo'R, BY MESNE AssiGN:MENTS,-TO GARLAND-VILA MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGANACORPORATION OF MAINE.

FEEDlNG MECHANISM on CORN-HUSKING MACHINES.

To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that 1, JAMES Wu PAIGE, aicitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illi- 5 nois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feeding Mechanism for- (Iorn-Husking Machines, of'whichthe follow- ;ing is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, inwhich'corresponding reference numerals in the different figures 1n-"fdi'catellike parts; i ZThe'obj ect of my invention is to provide a,Self-fedingmechanism for corn-husking ma- Ichiiies "wh ch shall besoconstructed that when the bundles of. corn'are thrown upon T thehopperthey may be caused .to move forward so that the band thereon may be cutand the stalks forming the-bundle separated 2O andgradually' movedlaterally until the discontact with';; the feed-rolls, a

stalks and-leaves may be forcetfi into positive 1 of which ishereinafter more particularly described, and

said arms is keyed to a rock-shaft 29, to the outer end of which iskeyed a depending arm I definitely ointed out in "the claims. w I In:the rawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of 3 a corn-husking machineembodying the featuresof my invention 2 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view thereof, taken 6 6 upon a transverse .shaft 7 ,drivenfrom "upon, the line '2, Fig.1, viewed in'the direc- 'tion of the arrowthere shown; and F g.3 is

a side'jview in detail of. a modification of a forcing-bar, showingmovable teeth:

, Referring to the jdra gs, 1 represents a feed-hopper, which ismounted'upon a suitable 'frame2, which also-supports the re- 4Q mainingportion of the machine. Located upon opposite'sides of the hopper nearthe front end are feed-rollers 3 3, which are mounted upon verticalshafts supported in bearings 4, oneofwhich is shown In Fig. 2.

Said feed rollers are rovided with beveled gears 5 5, which ines intobeveled pinions any available source of power, thereby driv- "ing therolls 3 to feed the stalks forward be-' tween said 7 loosely mountedupon the shaft 7, and berolls. A bifurcated arm 8 is tween the, forks ofsaidarm-is' located a rotary band-cutter 9 of any well-"known form,

Patented March 5, 1907. I

chain 10, mounted upon sprocket-wheels .11

12-, one upon the shaft 7 and the other upon the shaft of the saw.

In the same plane'with the floor 13-of the hopper is located an apron ofthe usual well: known construction, consisting of belts .14

14, mounted upon pulleys 15, supported upon transverse shafts 16, one ofwhich may be connected with asou-rceof. ower.

Slats which is actuated by means of a sprocket- 17 are attached to thebelts an serve to con- 'yvey the stalks forward above the usual floor 18to the snapping-rolls 19 20. Located above the apronand arrangedlengthwise of the machine is oneormore, but preferably a. plurality, offorce-feeders consisting of bars 21, having forwardl and upwardlyinclined teeth 22 thereon. Ihe forward end of each ofthe bars 21 isloosely su ported in a bracket 23, projectin upward y from an inclinedchute 24. n -op ositely-inclined guide-board 25 abovesaid rackets,Fig.2, serves to direct the stalks to the feed-rolls. The rear ends ofeach of the forcin bars 21 is jointedly conneotedat 26 with t e upperend'of an arm 27, which projects'upwardly through a slot 28 in the floor13. Each of 29, which in turn is connected by means of a pitman 30, Fig.2, to a wrist-pin 31 upon a wheel 32, keyed to ashaft 34, adapted to beI driven from any source of power, said 'depending arrn, link,and pitmanbeing shown f portions and with the rolls.

push them into engagement In order to evenly distribute the stalks Iupon the apron before they reach thefeed- .rolls, I provide thefollowing-described mechanism: Supported in suitable end bearings atthe. respective sides of the hopper between the rolls 3 andthe feed orsnapping-rollsare parallel crank shafts 36 36, having beveled 1-00 Vpinions 37 37 upon the ends, adapted to be driven by means of likepinions 38 38 upon the shaft 7. Cranks 39, 40, and 41, retrace tively,are formed upon each of the shaftb 36,

upon which are 'journaled, respectively, 105

spreading-rakes42 42,, 43 43, and 44 44.

, lower ends.

The rakes upon one crank-shaft are arranged and maintain normalpositions during the to extend toward those upon the other, as shown inFig. 1, and consist, preferably, of substantially straight arms havingdepend .ing fingers 46 47 upon the free ends thererakes from beingbrought into contact with the bars 21 or the apron-slats 16, I suspend ithe free ends of said rakes by means of links 48, which are 1omtedlyconnected to said bars at 49, and are also connected in like manner at50 to rigid brackets 51, attached to a supporting-frame 52,extendedlengthwise ot the machine.

The rakes 42 are of such a length as to enable them to extend nearly orquite to the The other pairs are middle of the machine. madeproportionately shorter, and the cranks to which they are attached aresuc cessively increased in length, so that the long rakes have a shortstroke, the next. a relatively longer one, movement.

- The operation of said device is as follows: The cornstalks beingthrown upon the hop per in bundles, each successive bundle is pressedbetween the drums or rollers 3 and moved thereby beneath the rotarycutter 9, thus severing the band thereon and enabling the stalks to beseparated. Being passed by the apron beneath the rakes, they are movedlaterally in opposite directions and toa limited distance by the actionof the rakes 42. The rakes 43 serve to move them still farther, andfinally they are distributed to the full limit desired by the action ofthe rakes 45. In the meantime the serrated bars 21 aid'in advancing themto the snappingrolls, and should any stalks become crossed or anymaterial intervene to cause clogging,

they are forced into contact. with said rollsby means of saidforcing-bars.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a modified construction in connection with thefeed-forcing bars 21. Instead of the rigid teeth 22 thereteeth 53, whichare pivotally mounted upon pins 54, attached to the bar. Said teeth areheld in a normal position, as shown, against stops 55, by means ofweights 56 upon their This enables the points of the teeth to yieldreadily when'the bars 21 are moved back, while causing them to assumeand the last a maximum 1 In order to prevent the fingers of said 2advance of the bars.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A feeding mechanism forcorn-husking machines, in which is combined means for advancing thestalks, a series of distributingrakes arranged to move laterally inopposite directions from opposite sides of the machine and means forimparting an increasing length of stroke to said rakes in'the order oftheir succession.

2. A feeding mechanism for corn-husking machines, in which is combinedmeans for initially advancing a bundle in a central path upon thefeeding-platform, a band-cuttin device -located in said path, ahorizonta feeding-apron following said initial advancing means, a seriesof distributing-rakes located upon opposite sides of the feedingplatformand means for imparting a successively increasing movement to said rakesin the order of their arrangement upon the platform, whereby thedistribution of the stalks' may be accomplished gradually and completedby the time they arrive at the feedrolls. I

3. A feeding mechanism for corn-husking machines, in which is combined afeed-hopper, rollers or drums having vertical axes for initiating theforward movement of the stalks in a centralposition upon the hopper, anendless feeding-apron for receiving and advancing the stalks from saidrollers, a plurality of rakes located upon opposite sides of said'machine and cranks having varying= lengths of stroke for actuating saidrake.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with feed-rollsand-a hopper, of

means for advancing the stalks in the hopper,

a series of rakes upon each side of the hopper, means for imparting anincreasing length of stroke to said rakes in the order of theirsuccession, serrated bars arranged lengthwise of the path of movement ofthe stalks and means for reciprocating said bars.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of February, 1906.

' JAMES W. PAIGE.

Witnesses i D. H. FLETCHER, C. E. JORDAN.

